1. The Audience and How to Reach It Chapter 11

2. Chapter Objectives: Understand how the mass media— newspapers, magazines, radio, television and online services—operate in our society Identify public relations opportunities in a variety of mass media, including those geared to ethnic and senior citizen publics Know general guidelines for the delivery of materials suitable for mass media distribution

3. Defining Audience “It is a complex intermingling of groups with diverse cultural, religious, and economic attributes whose interests coincide at times and conflict at others.” Diversity is the most significant aspect of the mass audience in the U.S. Regions of the country differ in geography, history, economics, and ethnicity– yet common national interests do bind us all.

4. Understanding Audiences Public relations professionals need to understand the shifting audience dynamics A successful campaign must be aimed at those segments of the mass audience that are most desirable for its particular purpose And it must employ those media most effective in reaching them

5. Using Computer Technology Census Bureau data can be mined to identify target audiences So can automobile registrations, sales figures, mailing lists, church and organization memberships One marketing research firm has divided the Chicago metro area into 62 “lifestyle clusters” using such data

6. Bypassing Traditional Media More and more today, companies, organizations and marketers use “controlled media” channels to communicate directly to an audience Database information can enable an organization, for example, to send letters directly to key decision makers or to send e-mail or broadcast faxes to key constituents

7. Emerging Senior Population According to the U.S. Census Bureau the senior population (65+) will peak at 50 million by 2010 These older citizens form an important opinion group and a consumer market with special interests Key characteristics of older citizens (p. 272) that PR pros should know

8. Hispanic Surge in America By 2010, Hispanics will make up 14.6 percent of the U.S. population (to 12.5 percent for African Americans and 67.3 percent Anglo) By 2050, the Census Bureau predicts Hispanics will make up 24.3 percent (to 13.2 African American and 52.8 Anglo) It must be remembered that minority populations are not a single monolithic group with identical interests, but instead they can form many distinctive target audiences

9. General Audience Characteristics Visually oriented Heavy emphasis on personality and celebrity Strong distrust of authority and suspicion of conspiracy The expansion of international audiences for public relations– the growth of global corporations and expanded foreign marketing by smaller firms open new PR situations, as does increased foreign ownership of U.S. companies

10. Matching the Audience with the Media Print media most effective for delivering a message that requires absorption of details Television has the strongest emotional impact of all media Radio’s greatest advantages are flexibility and the ability to reach specific target audiences Online media are usually used as a supplemental method of reaching a generally well-educated, relatively affluent audience interested in new ideas and fresh approaches

11. Media Relations In dealing with reporters and editors, PR people should understand several things about them: They are busy They are independent and like to make their own decisions Excessive hype and pushiness from PR is a turn off to news people Stories submitted by nonprofits are usually better received by editors than corporate news releases which are often seen as attempts at free advertising

12. PR Opportunities in the Media This chapter also takes a detailed look at how individual media operate And how PR pros can access “free media” coverage and publicity opportunities offered on TV, radio, motion pictures, the Internet, and in newspapers, books, and magazines Bottom line: editors/reporters and PR professionals need each other The media must have material and ideas from PR sources, and practitioners must have the media as a place to tell their stories